


diamonds in your eyes

by kaiohtic



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Romance, mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 04:27:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaiohtic/pseuds/kaiohtic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things change when Kai, the best assassin in EXO’s organization, is ordered to kidnap college student Oh Sehun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> written for this year's round of maknaerulez. as a sekai writer i'm glad i got the chance to finally participate, so i'm grateful towards the mods for organizing the fic fest. thanks to all the other writers for contributing and creating so many wonderful writings in the process and for sharing the love. and last, but not least, i'm also very, very thankful for all the love and comments this fic has received, because i myself as writer wasn't too happy with how it came out, but since i neither have the skills nor the time, i will leave the fic as it is and maybe edit or rewrite it in the future, maybe do a sequel even, who knows?

"Are you sure you want to watch?" Luhan asks.  
  
Jongin shrugs. He is curious, that is why he is heading towards the basement where Diamond Boy is brought to each time they try to make him cry. It sounds cruel, and it surely is cruel if things go the way Jongin imagines. He doesn't even need Luhan to tell him to know how gruesome the sight will be, but Luhan tells him anyway. He fills him in on details, telling how the boy is always talked to by two people, one playing the nice man, the other the bad one.  
  
Good cop, bad cop, Jongin thinks. That method is old. One will try to lure him with kind words, while the other threatens him, though both have the same goal: they want the boy's tears. The boy? Some poor being going by the name of Oh Sehun. The poor being that Jongin has captured for Suho and the whole organization behind the notorious mafia gang.  
  
"It's horrible, really," Luhan says and wrinkles his nose. "You shouldn't go there and watch. They always threaten him and beat him, even the one that's supposed to play the good person. He looks terrified, the poor boy. I wish they wouldn't hurt him. He doesn't deserve this."  
  
Jongin doesn't know what to retort without sounding harsh, possibly insulting the other. After all, they are part of the mafia - violence and brute force are the norm here. Luhan should be accustomed to that already, and just because their victim has a pretty face it doesn't mean that people will go easier on him. If anything, it just worsens the whole situation. A lot of their men have the sadistic urge to taint and break everything good and nice. Sehun should be glad that he hadn’t been raped so far, but who knows what might happen in a few days’ time when Junmyeon doesn’t get what he wants.  
  
But well, they do go easy on him, Jongin think, as he watches the scene unfolding behind a glass wall, not different from any other investigation room they show in so many detective and police series. The glass wall looks like a wall to the ones inside the room, but for the ones standing outside like Jongin, it is glass. He can see exactly what the two men are doing to the boy, and so far, they are only yelling at him. Sehun has eyes brimming with tears already. Jongin supposes that with just a bit more the boy will break. He will cry, even when it is obvious that he is doing his best to hold his tears back.  
  
Luhan beside him stiffens and pulls a grimace before he turns to go away, rambling in quiet mutters under his breath, something along the line of _if I was him I would rather die than cooperate and give them what they wish_ , and Jongin wonders what Junmyeon would think of that.  
  
Luhan is one of the few members here that have not given up on ideals and morals yet. Luhan refuses to take care of cases involving civilians; he doesn’t wish to hurt innocent people. It leaves Jongin wondering if his morals will lead Luhan to betray Junmyeon one day. Will he? Would he switch sides and fight alongside the police? But if there was the possibility he could, Junmyeon wouldn’t have taken him in, would he?  
  
A small outcry leads Jongin's attention back to the boy. Jongin is not quite sure where they have hit him as he is tied and can’t even clutch on the place he had been hit, but with the pain - Sehun's old bruises haven't healed completely yet but they are giving him more - the boy can't hold back his tears any more.  
  
Jongin watches with fascination as clear liquid rolls down Sehun's cheeks, reaching his jawline where they depart, transforming into crystals in mid-air. They just go from clear liquid into a solid form, not looking like tear drops at all when they hit the ground with a quiet clink, their size different each but the color is the same: they are a deep, velvety red, almost blood red, and they look nothing like tears. No man could tell the difference between this kind of crystals and the ones found in nature. And yet, despite gathering those crystals, both of Sehun's torturers seem to get only angrier. They start to yell at him again, they slap him, they kick him. That is when Jongin turns away, too.  
  
He thinks he understands Luhan a bit, because what he has seen is quite disgusting. Those two who are in charge of Sehun today - it is always different people every day Luhan has told him - are just searching for reasons to beat him up. Jongin knows that look, that kind of glint in their eyes. It is sadism that shows when one is given power and permission to relieve all pent up stress. To them, Sehun is just a punching bag. They forget their mission to make Sehun either speak up or make him cry diamonds instead of those rubies that are – at least that is what Junmyeon has told him – not worth much.  
  
What really makes Jongin feel sick to the gut though, is the knowledge that he has been the one bringing Sehun here. He is the one to blame for all the pain inflicted on an innocent person, and even if he is nowhere close to being as good and righteous as Luhan is, he still feels bad. He has never wanted to get good people involved, least of all get some kid involved. Sehun is just a kid to him, a mere child in his eyes, and the child buried deep inside Jongin protests.  
  
He has never thought the day would come that he would start to doubt his decisions. All decisions are made by Junmyeon, so Jongin has never had to bother thinking. He just needs to execute, and execute he does, but usually missions targeting the corrupt in high ranks like officials and politicians. He has never gotten a case like Sehun’s, but that is understandable. Sehun is different. He is  _special_. He is the  _Diamond Boy_.  
  
  
  
  
  
Three months ago, Jongin was being given a special mission. Back then he found it laughable. EXO's greatest assassin and the boss's right hand man was being given the task to capture some nameless person, when Jongin was used to break into areas with top security, taking hostage of millionaires and all the other rich and supposedly powerful in this world. Nameless in the sense of not famous, not known to the public as someone with power or money because this boy was just fresh out of high school, a freshman in college and nothing more. No affiliation to any institution or big corporation of some sorts. Just a student. It has made Jongin snort.  
  
"Kai," Junmyeon frowns. "Don't laugh. It's a serious matter. I want that boy. Oh Sehun. Capture him, but don't hurt him. I want him still living and breathing. He’ll be a valuable addition to our family."  
  
Junmyeon hands him a folder and Jongin looks through the pictures with interest. A very innocent looking civilian. Boyish features, tall, lanky stature, pristine skin. He looks like one of those skinny ulzzangs one finds everywhere on the internet nowadays, an idol in training, a rookie maybe, but apart from that, Jongin can't think of a reason that might make this boy somewhat influential, and a glance at the gathered data in his profile affirms his impression. Sehun is just a college student with a boring major. Linguistics, really? With a focus on German. Jongin thinks back to his German classes in high school and cringes.  
  
"Why?" The younger one asks and sits down on Junmyeon's desk. If they weren't brothers, Junmyeon – better known as Suho, EXO's head and Jongin's boss - would have punished him with a week of torture for that, but alas, the big brother has a soft spot for his baby brother, more so when Jongin is also one of his most talented and loyal men. Blood is thicker than water after all.  
  
"We have some proof that he is capable of making more money than all the men you killed so far. Read the data sheet," Junmyeon says.  
  
"Can't you tell me, hyung? I'm too lazy to read.” Jongin yawns to proof his point. He has always hated reading. After all it requires to sit down and be still, while Jongin was more of the active type, a lover of sports and simply moving around. Even now, as adult, his legs are swinging when he sits down, unable to keep them still.  
  
"Of course you'd be," Junmyeon chuckles - a rare thing when his face is usually stoic and somehow intimidating, but here, just between the two of them, Junmyeon still shows bits of his childhood self, the caring and loving big brother. The gaze he gives Jongin now is the same, too.  
  
"Remember the jeweler who always had the finest goods? We checked his suppliers and found out an interesting thing. It is none other than Oh Sehun who supplies him with the finest diamonds. I want you to bring the boy here, alive and in one piece.”  
  
“Really now?” Jongin asks. He can’t imagine how that boy might be able to get his fingers on goods like that. Does he secretly own a diamond mine? But that would still not be interesting to Junmyeon who could get his hands on any other provider for jewelry. Why would he want to buy crystals and stones either way? As far as Jongin knows, his brother is not one to dress pompously, and as far as luxury went, he just needed a comfy bed and a clean bathroom with a huge bathtub for relaxing baths. “But why this boy and not another provider?”  
  
“Rumors say his tears turn into jewels, and now imagine how much more money that boy will bring us than most of the business we’re doing now. On top of that, it’s not even risky. The boy just needs to cooperate with us, give us a few tears a day, and everyone will be happy. The police wouldn’t have any proof of illegal activities."  
  
For a moment, all Jongin does is staring blankly. He is unimpressed. Or rather, he doesn't quite believe his brother. It is ridiculous. The jeweler they were threatening must have spun a story for them, just so he could save his ass. But then again, Junmyeon was not dumb. He wouldn't let anyone fool him, right?  
  
"How'd you know it's the truth? It’s like having supernatural powers, I don’t believe that is possible."  
  
"I know," Junmyeon says. "But we've observed him for a while and he brought a handful of the clearest diamonds I have ever seen in my life. Even if his tears don't turn into diamonds, he still knows how to access diamonds and get them for us easily. I want him, Jongin, so go get him."  
  
And with how final Junmyeon’s words are, Jongin has no choice but to obey. Brother or not, Junmyeon is still the boss, and Jongin knows that there is a lot that Junmyeon tolerates because they are related by blood, but there are also greater expectations and responsibilities when it comes to carrying out missions. Jongin, more than anyone else, has to show absolute loyalty.  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“You may go now,” Junmyeon says, the smile gone when there is a knock at the door. He is in business mode now, and so Jongin’s demeanor changes to fit accordingly.  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
Junmyeon waves him off. But as Jongin walks out of the room, he hears Junmyeon speaking up again.  
  
“And remember to bring him here, alive and unharmed. It would be preferable if he cooperates.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Alive and unharmed, what a joke. Jongin has seen people on the brink of death with livelier eyes than Oh Sehun’s and if blue and purple bruises don’t count as being harmed or injured, only then Sehun would be considered unharmed now. Jongin cringes just at the thought of Sehun being in the investigation room in their basement. The boy looks so pale and cranky it’s a miracle that he is still alive after what they have done to him.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin gets a lot less information than he expects. To carry out his mission, he has thought he would be given more knowledge on the target, but except for the few snapshots of Oh Sehun and some basic information that one could retrieve within a few minutes, just by logging into official databanks - if one knows how to break into them, that is – he has gotten nothing. And that is if you count all the assumptions made, too, mainly consisting of weird theories and rumors of how Oh Sehun was able to bring a handful of diamonds every few months.  
  
The official data is most probably provided by Kyungsoo, and yet the amount of information Jongin gets from the data sheet is not enough for him to plan a mission. While it helps that he knows how Sehun looks like, how old and tall he is and where he goes to school, Jongin still has to find out other things, like Sehun's schedules and his habits. Does he go clubbing and partying at night or does he spend most of his time studying in the library? Is there any place he frequents other than school and home? Who are his friends and does he spend a lot of time with them?  
  
If he knew all of that beforehand, planning his mission would be so much easier. He wouldn’t have to observe Sehun for long enough to pick up the routine in Sehun’s everyday life, just so he can pinpoint a perfect time to kidnap the boy. And since he is not supposed to harm Sehun physically in any way. To bring the boy as hostage with no scratches or bruises anywhere makes the whole mission a lot more difficult for Jongin who specializes in getting people killed.  
  
As far as Jongin knows, Junmyeon has planned to offer the boy to work for them, and in return Sehun would be protected and would be cared for. A good deal for both sides, but not so attractive if Sehun mistrusts them, so Jongin has to be careful and do his best to lure Sehun in. If possible, getting Sehun to agree to come with him would be the best way.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin sighs. It is his fifth day following the boy around, and while Junmyeon has told him to take his time – as long as Sehun is brought to him within the next three months, it would be fine – Jongin knows that his brother is getting impatient, although Junmyeon knows perfectly well how difficult it will be to convince – or capture – Sehun. After all, Jongin is Kai, a ruthless killer and not a smooth talker.  
  
So far, Jongin has found out that Sehun spends a lot of his time alone at home, on campus or at the library, and while that makes him an easy target since not many people seem to pay attention to him, it is still difficult for Jongin to work out a plan. He has spontaneously tried to approach Sehun, trying to befriend him and get close to him, but Jongin could tell that Sehun was suspicious. There was a friendly smile plastered over Sehun’s face, but he cut Jongin short each time and apologized, hurrying away as fast as possible.  
  
It is not only Jongin who fails at approaching Sehun though. Sehun has quite a number of admirers, both male and female ones, but none of the people confessing to him were successful. Sehun keeps a barrier around himself and Jongin can only conclude that it must be because of his ability. If his tears didn't turn into expensive crystals, he wouldn't have to fear fake friends that might only use him.  
  
But is he really able to do that? Turn tears into expensive crystals worth thousands and ten thousands? Jongin has never seen Sehun sad before. In fact, he doesn't see any expression on Sehun's face, except for the bored one. Sehun is good at keeping his poker face, and that, too, is probably a measure to protect himself. If he cries, everyone will know about his secret, and everyone would fight to be friends with him, only for their own benefits. Like Junmyeon, he thinks, but then again, Junmyeon is the head of a mafia family and not some saint. Jongin isn't a saint either, and that is why he listens to his older brother. He keeps following Sehun around for another two, three weeks.  
  
  
  
  
  
He never gets to see a proof. Sehun doesn't cry ever, not even a tear because of exhaustion or a tear slipping because he is sleepy and yawns. In the end, it doesn't matter. Junmyeon is urging him to capture the boy, so Jongin executes. He doesn't care if the boy can't get Junmyeon the diamonds his brother believes he can produce. All Jongin wants is to finish this task so he can go on more exciting missions. He misses the action, the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins, the excitement, the thrill. Watching Sehun is boring.  
  
The only reason why Jongin has not acted so far is because Junmyeon has said that he is supposed to bring Sehun without harming the other, as Junmyeon keeps emphasizing, and that is not a thing Jongin is specialized in. He is an assassin, good with knifes but even better as sniper. He is explosive and destructive, leaving a mess wherever he goes. It is rare that someone comes out unscathed, but in his line of work it’s not necessary to pay attention to any possible losses, no matter which side. If one of their members dies on a mission, that simply means they are too weak for their organization.  
  
Jongin being this strict and harsh doesn’t mean he can’t work in a team though, and to capture Sehun, he actually wishes there was another person to help him. Sehun isn't the easiest to handle after all. He needs to be good with words, persuasive, luring the other in somehow, but Jongin is not Luhan - and he is still not quite sure why Junmyeon is so adamant about him getting Sehun. Wouldn't Luhan be better suited for this task? Luhan with his innocent face and sweet words. He would be able to persuade Sehun to tag along and hear Junmyeon out; he would be able to make Sehun agree, just with a flutter of eyelashes and a quirky smile. Jongin is done trying to convince Junmyeon though. It’s no use when his brother is stubborn.  
  
  
  
  
  
Nothing goes as planned. Well, not as Plan A at least. Jongin has done his best to be charming and convincing, to get Sehun to follow him. And how he wishes Sehun would be pliant, but the boy is not.  
  
They are in a cafe. Sehun is a regular here and as always he is sitting at the table in the back corner of the room. Jongin is just two tables away, keeping watch on the boy. Sehun is immersed in a book, most probably his textbook. Jongin knows Sehun is a diligent student.  
  
Jongin decides to approach him after a while, light steps and a bright smile, a cup of boba milk tea in his hand.  
  
"Hi," he greets and Sehun looks up, gaze blank.  
  
"May I help you?" Sehun asks, eyeing him with suspicion. They know each other of course, not by name, but Jongin has tried to talk to Sehun several times in the past.  
  
"For you," Jongin says, placing the cup on the table, careful to avoid the textbooks and notes strewn all over it.  
  
"Thank you, but you shouldn't waste your drink or money on me. I’m not interested, Jongin," Sehun replies courtly, getting up and packing his materials. Jongin should have foreseen that, he should have known that no matter how much time passed, Sehun would still be wary of him. Yet, he has hoped the other would make it easy for him. Jongin was civil and nice in his approach, wasn’t he? He really hoped he wouldn’t have to use any violence on the poor boy but it seems impossible now.  
  
"Please accept it. You're cute, so I wanted to treat you to some bubble tea, that’s all," Jongin adds hastily, turning the cup so Sehun could see the memo attached to it, a number jotted down within a few seconds, along with a messy  _Call me sometime =)_. A pretext of course, because that number is not Jongin's real number. He just needs to get Sehun drink the milk tea that was infused with sleeping pills.  
  
“I don’t expect anything in return. I’d be happy if you just accepted this drink,” he says, but realizes that Sehun has seen through him already. The mistrust is obvious, from the glare and the tensed stance. The boy just shakes his head, muttering a quiet thank you before he walks past Jongin with hurried steps, the milk tea left behind. Jongin abandons the drink, too, in favor of following his target.  
  
  
  
  
  
Plan B is a lot different from his initial plan A. It is also a plan Jongin has hoped he wouldn’t actually have to execute, but with Junmyeon asking about his progress every day, Jongin gets antsy, too. He hasn’t planned on ambushing Sehun, but that seems like the only way to actually capture Sehun. The boy is far too careful and suspicious to befriend and lull into a false sense of security, least of all by a person like Jongin. And that means Jongin has to operate closer to his usual line of work, excluding the death and injuries he usually brings.  
  
It is dark outside. Jongin is lucky, because usually Sehun doesn’t leave his apartment around this time. He is always mindful of his environment and it is either fear of the dark or fear of what might be lurking in the dark that probably keeps the boy at home. Whatever reason it is, Sehun is leaving the house around 9PM is a lucky chance Jongin won’t pass.  
  
The darkness gives Jongin enough chances to wait around the corner, and despite the dim light of the street lamps, still bright enough for everyone to make out Jongin’s face, the assassin does not hesitate to tackle Sehun in the gentlest way he can, a tissue with chloroform pressed against the boy’s nose. There is not enough time to react and scream for help. The only reaction Jongin sees are the eyes widening in surprise and shock before the boy’s muscles give in. If it wasn’t for Jongin’s strong grip around the other’s waist, Sehun would have face planted into the dirt.  
  
“Sweet dreams,” Jongin whispers. “I’m sorry we had to do it this way, but it’s not my fault you did not want to cooperate. The least you could have done was allowing me to bring you to HQ so Suho could make a proposal.”  
  
  
  
  
  
He knows that expression. Jongin has seen it before, in the short second Sehun was still conscious, mind clear, before he fell unconscious due to the chemicals. It is a look of fear, but now that he is facing the boy for the first time after he has been captured, the look of horror has multiplied in intensity by tenfolds.  
  
"Ah," Jongin says, smiling at the bound boy. Sehun is sitting on the same chair in the basement, hands cuffed together and legs tied to the chair by the ankles. It's not necessary, Jongin thinks. Sehun looks defeated; he can’t detect any will to fight, and even if it was still there, the boy is too scrawny and weak to fight with the mafia.  
  
"Sehun, right? I'm sorry I scared you the last time we met."  
  
Sehun doesn't even look his way, but that's alright. Just that one brief moment of eye contact the moment Jongin entered the cellar was enough. He doesn't need to frighten the boy more, a mere kid in his eyes. Sehun might be impressively tall, but he is thin, frail, and most of all he is innocent. Jongin feels slightly bad for bringing him here and involve him into mafia politics, but if it is the boss's order, if it is his  _brother_ 's order, then Jongin can't disobey.  
  
There is silence between them. Jongin is not even sure why he has come here to visit Sehun. He hasn't even talked to Junmyeon about it. It was his spontaneous decision to walk by and say hello to the boy. It might be the guilt eating away at him. He has never been a fan of involving civilians even if he is ruthless, always trying to minimize the danger and damage posed to the public. It's just other organizations and corrupt people that he targets, and only those affiliated to them should be dragged into the mess. But not Sehun, a mere child, barely out of high school. A kid who had his whole life and all wonderful options and opportunities open until Jongin came along and took all of that away.  
  
Sehun looks sad, scared, hurt. It tugs at Jongin’s heart strings. He has never been able to see kids being scared or hurt and the way Sehun sits there reminds Jongin a lot of unpleasant childhood memories. It makes him feel worse about the whole situation when he can see a bit of himself in the boy sitting there.  
  
"You see," he starts again, voice surprisingly soft. "There is no need for you to be kept here. There would be no need to cuff you and lock you here if you would just cooperate."  
  
There is no reaction from the boy, except for the light twitch in his fingers. Jongin deems it enough of a response; he just wants the boy to listen and come to his senses. All the violence here would not be necessary if Sehun just did what Junmyeon asked of him, but right now Sehun is boycotting them. In Jongin’s eyes it’s just stupid, especially with all the offers Junmyeon has made, the benefits Junmyeon is willing to give in return for a few clear tears turning into diamonds. When he compares all the things Junmyeon has listed, willing to get for Sehun, the boy’s refusal seems just stupid.  
  
"We wouldn't need to hurt you if you would just cooperate and give us what we ask from you. In return, you will be treated to everything you could ever dream of. You would be protected, too. You would be part of the family. Doesn't that sound nice?" He asks, but no reply is given. Jongin chuckles.  
  
"You do like it the hard way, huh? Do you think we like to hurt pretty kids like you? Don't make it hard for us," Jongin says. He walks closer and tilts Sehun's face up, surprised at the little spark in those eyes. They are not brimming with tears, but they are still expressive right now. Sehun is shooting him a fierce glare that amuses Jongin a lot.  
  
Jongin lets his other hand brush over bruised skin, noting the way Sehun shivers at the touch, thin lips trembling when he runs a thumb over them.  
  
"You're really cute, you know? That wasn't a lie. Luhan is right. Cute boys like you shouldn't get hurt like that."  
  
"Then let me go," Sehun speaks up for the first time, a mere whisper but loud enough for Jongin to hear. Jongin pulls back and smiles. Sehun isn’t dropping his gaze. He is still staring at Jongin’s face.  
  
"I'm not the boss, so I don’t know if that is possible. I doubt the boss will let you go though. You were given a few options. Cooperate and give us crystal clear diamonds or else we will have to keep you here until you agree. You know the results that will come with every option, so why don’t you choose something more beneficial for both sides?"  
  
It is still the same look of fear painted across Sehun's face, but slowly it morphs into something else. There is rage, too, and hopelessness, helplessness even. It is an all too familiar mix of feelings that makes Jongin uncomfortable, yet he can’t look away; he needs to appear strong.  
  
"Do you really think I can control this?” Sehun hisses. “It's not a choice when I can't choose. It never was."  
  
Jongin blinks, stunned at the outburst, but it reminds him of a talk he had earlier that week.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hyung," Jongin greets. He just enters, not bothering to knock at the door. It's not like Junmyeon would yell at him for that. He is the right hand man  _and_  the younger brother and that turns him into the ultimate confident. There is nothing that Junmyeon keeps secret from him, or at least that is what Jongin thinks and what Junmyeon's actions prove.  
  
"Ah, Kai, you're back," Junmyeon says and smiles, but it is just a mere quirk of lips. It's not a happy smile that reaches his eyes, the one Jongin remembers from early childhood days.  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" Jongin asks, eyeing Luhan. Luhan is their informant mainly, using his sweet looks to deceive people and lure all information he wants and needs to feed them to Junmyeon. He is rarely at the headquarters, simply for the reason that he has to stay lowkey. No one should associate him with EXO or else he would have to retire from work. Luhan being here means that something big must have happened.  
  
"Just business talk," Luhan replies courtly.  
  
"More like curiosity driving him here," Junmyeon scoffs. "He's using business as an excuse to take a look at our Diamond Boy."  
  
"Diamond Boy," Jongin repeats. "You mean that lanky kid you made me kidnap?"  
  
"Exactly," Luhan says with a wide grin. "People say he's really pretty. Well, was. Or still is, but you can't see much of that because a certain Mister has ordered to beat him up on a regular basis." At that Luhan glares at Junmyeon who just rolls his eyes.  
  
"You should get rid of your obsession with pretty boys," the boss says, but just like Jongin, Luhan enjoys immunity, too, so he just laughs without fear of being punished. There is a lot that he can do and say without Junmyeon punishing him. After all, the harmless looking man is a person vital to their organization and very valuable to Junmyeon. He has also been the one to teach Jongin a lot about survival when Junmyeon had been too busy to establish his leadership within EXO. Difficult times, but Jongin looks back at those memories with fondness.  
  
"I'll think about it," Luhan says. "But really, could you tell your men not to touch his face."  
  
"That's usually what makes him cry," Junmyeon shrugs.  
  
"So it's true his tears turn into diamonds?" Jongin quips in then.  
  
"Yes. But that goddamn boy keeps sabotaging us. He's been giving us dirty diamonds only, the unclear ones that don't sell so well, or other, colored crystals. He's purposely doing that, defying us, although we've offered him a happy life among us if he just keeps crying those pretty diamonds for us."  
  
Jongin hums, although he doesn't quite understand why the boy wouldn't make a deal with them. He has been captured, so of course he knows that there is no way out, which is why he should try to make the best of it. Cooperating with EXO isn't half as bad as people would expect. They are quite civil, as long as one obeys and abides by all their rules.  
  
"Such a foolish boy," Junmyeon sighs.  
  
"Are you sure that he can control his tears and what kind of crystals they turn into?" Luhan asks then. "What if he's not getting enough nutrition? What if he needs a special kind of food to produce those? There is a high possibility that he can't fully control his talent. It might be dependent on external circumstances."  
  
  
  
  
  
“Let me try.”  
  
Junmyeon looks up, not blinking, but Jongin can read the confusion from his face. Jongin’s words were rather vague.  
  
“Try what?” Junmyeon asks, leaning back against his chair. His stance is relaxed, mild interest showing in the way he looks at Jongin, but also in the way his hands are pressed together by his fingertips. It is a habit Jongin doesn’t like for it reminds him too much of their father, but maybe that gesture is a symbol of power and dominance, too. Maybe that is why Junmyeon is in charge of the whole organization instead of sharing power with his younger brother.  
  
“Diamond Boy. I want to try a few things to make him cry. An experiment, so to say.”  
  
Junmyeon raises his eyebrows.  
  
“How dangerous are your experiments? Will they kill him?”  
  
Jongin shakes his head. “No. I was thinking about Luhan’s words. What if he really can’t help it? Just like a plant you want to harvest, maybe you need to tend to him in a special way. Nutrition, the amount of water, sunshine, temperature… external factors that can be influenced. I want to test and see what might be those factors that might have an effect on the quality of our fruits.”  
  
“And what makes you want to try yourself? You could order our people to do it and tell you the results,” Junmyeon replies, a little smile on his face. Jongin can’t quite interpret what his brother might be thinking, but he also doesn’t know why he wants to face Sehun and give a try by himself either. Is it because he has been talking to Oh Sehun? Or is it because he is pitying the poor boy, wanting to give Sehun a chance at a violence free life because he is sure no one else in this organization – except for Luhan – feels empathy?  
  
“Not sure,” he replies truthfully as always. “I just feel like I should.”  
  
“Alright,” Junmyeon tells him. “I don’t have any other tasks for you right now anyways. Tell everyone you’re in charge of Diamond Boy starting today.”  
  
“Yes, sir,” Jongin replies, grinning at his brother. Junmyeon dismisses him with a chuckle and a wave of his hand.  
  
  
  
  
  
The easiest way to get the goods they want from Sehun is to ask the boy. Surely, Sehun must know when he earns diamonds instead of those other jewels, right? Even if he can’t help it, like he said, he must still know what influences his ability, right? Unfortunately, asking Sehun doesn’t help Jongin in any way because the boy is stubborn. Sehun refuses to talk to him, his face tear stricken, but his lips shut tight, not allowing any sound to leave. Jongin is not even threatening him, yet there are tears falling, running down in pretty tracks before they turn into gems in mid-air. This time they look brown and greyish, dark shades that are almost black. They are ugly and Jongin is sure they are of even lesser value than he ones Sehun has given them so far. Why aren’t the gems reddish in tone like the ones Sehun has produced so far?  
  
With a sigh Jongin goes through the list of possible factors that might influence the quality of those stones.  
  
It can’t be the food, since Sehun has been fed with different food every day. Junmyeon himself has ordered for Sehun to eat healthily, and if the boy doesn’t eat, then he is forced to eat. Three meals a day and enough water to keep him hydrated. So if it’s not the food, then what is it?  
  
Could it be the method to make Sehun cry? Is it about why Sehun cries? It is the only thing Jongin could think of, apart from the boy’s condition. If it is not about physical health, then it must be about mental health. To confirm his conclusion, he sends two of their men to take care of Sehun while he is watching from outside, just to confirm his theory.  
  
  
  
  
  
It looks just as cruel as last time. Jongin wants to look away, but he can’t. He has to observe instead, trying to figure out what the difference between the tears Sehun sheds in front of him and the tears Sehun sheds in front of others is.  
  
In no time, those two men get Sehun crying. Those tears turn into the regular jewels of reddish brown, some dusted with black and grey specks. It has to do with who makes him cry. Or maybe how they make him cry? The place they hit?  
  
Jongin keeps observing, and despite the reason being obvious, he needs some time to figure out. Only when he stares at Sehun's eyes for a while it dawns on him. Sehun’s look is different. When facing those other men, the boy doesn't show any expression, except for the physical pain that comes with every hit and every kick. With Jongin though, there is this look of fear and terror in his eyes. But why? Jongin has never laid a hand on him ever. He is not the one to paint bruises on pale skin. He only kidnapped Sehun, he had never beat Sehun in a pulp like this.  
  
Knowing - or at least suspecting - the reason for the obvious difference in color and quality of Sehun's stones, he calls those two men back, not needing them to hurt their Diamond Boy any further. He goes straight to Junmyeon's office after that to report his observations and explain his conclusion.  
  
He finds Luhan sitting there - Luhan has been frequenting headquarters more often lately, especially the boss's room - with Junmyeon, the two in midst of a heated discussion. Jongin doesn't hear a word and if he does, he pretends he has never heard it. Selective hearing. There is no need to remember everything if it is information not intended to be in his knowledge.  
  
"Kai," Junmyeon says, his face a blank. Luhan, too, takes on a more neutral expression, though Jongin can sense him brooding behind that calm demeanor.  
  
"I came here to report on Oh Sehun. I am pretty sure it is about the method used on him. He has a different expression when he gave me those dark greyish stones instead of the blood red ones. Seems like he produces dark greyish ones when he is scared and red ones when he is in pain."  
  
"See!" Luhan exclaims then. "I told you hurting him was the wrong way to go! Let him work with us on his free will and he will provide us with the nice goods."  
  
"Quiet," Junmyeon hisses and gets up. There is a light smile on his face, and now he looks like a proud father more than ever. Jongin hates that look, hates how much it reminds him of their father, how much it reminds him of his past - working off his ass just to get a little praise and the command to continue work.  
  
"Kai, I think you should continue working with Oh Sehun then. Find out when our precious boy turns into Diamond Boy. No one else shall intervene."  
  
"Wouldn't Luhan be more suitable for that job?" Jongin asks, eyeing the other male in the room. Right now, Sehun is terrified of him, and he is sure that Sehun doesn't have any negative feelings towards Luhan. Luhan is good at talking and he looks friendly, too. There is a reason why Luhan is mainly an informant and not an assassin, and that is his people skills. Not to mention that Jongin is short-tempered at times. If he loses patience and snaps at the poor boy, all progress - if there is some - will be gone.  
  
"I could do that," Luhan quips in with a grin. "I could make him talk and feel at ease. I can convince him to work with us and for us."  
  
"No," Junmyeon says, voice cold. "I told Kai to work on this, so Kai will do it. Are you both questioning my authority?"  
  
"Of course not," Jongin replies quickly. He bows and chances a glance at Luhan, unsure what to do to ease the tension. Something must be going on between the two of them, and most probably it is not a fight over work only.  
  
"I'll take my leave then," he mumbles when there is no response, and exits the room, leaving those two to settle their quarrel in private.


	2. Chapter 2

Jongin orders Sehun to be brought to his private rooms in the headquarters. It is almost a little apartment with a spacious living room, a bedroom, a study and a more than luxurious bathroom. He has done so on impulse, not thinking much about it until he arrives in his rooms later, after stopping by their IT section to have a little chat with his closest friends here - Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Only when he opens the door to his rooms to find Sehun curled up on his bed does he remember. Ah yes, he has arranged that. But what is he going to do with that boy now? He doesn't have any plans actually. It’s all from here on.  
  
The boy perks up when Jongin enters. He must have been awake and only pretending to be sleeping since Jongin didn't make a grand and loud entry, his steps quiet on the carpeted floor.  
  
Jongin watches with a mixture of amusement, sympathy and regret as the boy scrambles backwards, as far as possible from Jongin, until his back hits the headboard. There is still the same look of terror in his eyes, sparkling with a wave of tears Jongin can already predict will start to fall in three, two, one -  
  
When the first tear starts rolling Jongin walks over to the boy in slow, measured strides. He sits down on the bed, close enough to be able to touch the boy if he reaches out. He doesn't do so, but instead he just stays there, watching as one tear follows the other on their way down, transforming into black stones in mid-air.  
  
Sehun sits there, breathing heavily through his nose, chest rising up and down rapidly. He doesn't move, either too scared or too hopeless, but he is chained, too. He can't run away.  
  
"There," Jongin sighs. "Don't cry. I'm not here to hurt you." Those words don't sound very reassuring to Jongin himself, but he has never claimed to be a good talker. He just states what he is thinking, not bothering to wrap his thoughts in pretty words. Clear and direct, that is his way.  
  
"You said you never get a choice, right?" Jongin says. "Now, I'll give you a choice. You will either let me take a look at your injuries or not. I suggest you to let me take care of them. An infection is quite painful, you know?"  
  
Sehun keeps staring at him. There aren't any fresh tears, only drying tear tracks and the gems in between them, all spread over Sehun's lap and the bed cover. They both are still and silent, and after what seems like an eternity but is probably just a minute in real time, Jongin gets impatient. He speaks up again.  
  
"I don't have all day. I'll take a look at your injuries now. If you swat my hand away, I'll just leave you to your fate. Let those injuries get infected. But really, that wouldn't be so nice because they'd scar your face. Luhan wouldn't be happy about it, you know?"  
  
Jongin is babbling by now, spewing nonsense, which is not very characteristic for him. He isn't much of a talker, but here he finds himself rambling on, just to keep the boy calm. At least he hopes he can keep Sehun calm by talking about everything and nothing while he moves closer, fingers reaching out to touch bruised skin.  
  
It is just a fleeting touch, but Sehun whimpers nonetheless. Jongin almost mimics the lip bite, as if he was feeling the pain, too, but he catches himself. He is not supposed to show too much compassion here. Sehun still needs to know his place.  
  
He tips Sehun's face up by his chin, inspecting the purplish blue areas. There aren't any open wounds, except for the busted lip, at least not on his face. Jongin isn't sure about the rest of his body hidden under an old, smelly shirt and pants.  
  
He pulls back to retrieve the first aid kit from the bathroom. It's been a while since he last had to patch someone up. With their organization growing, he doesn't have to take care of his own injuries anymore. They have skilled people to do that, two or three doctors among their ranks. Jongin could call for Yixing, but his intuition tells him that for now he should be the one to take care of Sehun, showing that he means no harm. He has to make Sehun trust him instead of fearing him.  
  
Jongin works mechanically. Sehun doesn't protest when he is rid of his shirt and pants, but the look of terror is still there. Jongin ignores it and tries not to feel offended - he really did  _not_  hurt Sehun in any way - while he dabs at open wounds with a clean, damp wash cloth, disinfecting and applying ointment right after. Once that is done, he gives Sehun one of his own T-shirts and sweatpants to wear. It looks ridiculous on the boy, too big and wide, although Jongin himself is of a rather slim build. How thin must he be? Did he starve himself?  
  
"You'll have to take a bath or shower one of these days," Jongin says. "You stink."  
  
Sehun doesn't laugh like Jongin does, but Jongin supposes it's not funny to be in Sehun's place. Jongin wouldn't laugh either if he was in Sehun's shoes.  
  
  
  
  
  
Just because Jongin takes care of Sehun's condition doesn't mean that the boy is trusting him all of a sudden though. There isn't much fear in his eyes anymore, but the mistrust is always there, never leaving, and Jongin can't really be mad. After all, he was the one to bring Sehun into this hellhole. It is his fault that Sehun has been mistreated from day one and Sehun knows that, too.  
  
Of course it would be much easier if Sehun could just tell him what makes him produce clear diamonds and other rare and valuable stones, like sapphires or rubies, but Sehun is still not talking to him. The boy seems adamant about being quiet and Jongin almost, almost slapped Sehun for that, but he remembered in time that Sehun needs a lot of care and tenderness right now. If Sehun hates him, that would be close to a game over.  
  
And so Jongin can only guess what kind of tears might turn into diamonds. The prettiest, most valuable jewels must come from the prettiest, most valuable tears, too, right? Is it tears of happiness then? Does he have to make Sehun laugh?  
  
At the thought of Sehun laughing a picture comes to his mind, a scenery he has witnessed a few weeks ago when he was still following the boy around.  
  
Sehun has been sitting in the park then, most likely to enjoy the sun shining down warmly. He was typing away on his laptop, working on assignments maybe, when suddenly a little girl approached him. She gave him a toothy grin and held out a little bouquet of flowers she must have picked around the park. Sehun looked very surprised then, but he smiled brightly when the girl told him it was  _for the handsome oppa_.  
  
Jongin will never be able to forget a smile like that, one that makes Sehun look a lot younger and more innocent than he does now, a smile so wide and radiant that everyone in a close range had to stop and stare.  
  
Sehun's happy smile; that is when he looks the prettiest. Jongin is quite sure that his smile and his happiness is the most precious thing to the people he is close with, and so his tears of happiness must be of even higher value for they must be even rarer. But how does he know what will make Sehun happy, except for returning his freedom, a thing Jongin could never grant him without Junmyeon possibly beheading him and hunting Sehun down afterwards?  
  
  
  
  
  
If Sehun doesn't tell him, Jongin will have to find out on his own, without asking Sehun. Surely, Sehun is not the only person who knows what makes him happy, right? His close friends and family must know, too, maybe his neighbors and professors, as well.  
  
Jongin doesn’t come up with that idea by himself though. Only after a talk with Luhan does he decide to go hunting for hints in Sehun’s close environment. He has to admit that Luhan is smart, even better in his job that his reputation says. Luhan is known to be able to get any kind of information on people and rumors easily.  
  
Luhan was a bit hesitant about talking to him at first though. Jongin can only guess that Junmyeon must have intimidated him greatly or else Luhan would be fire and flame, knowing that he could contribute to help Sehun just a bit. There is no denial that Luhan still has some interest in Sehun's case. Luhan asks a few questions, seemingly smalltalk, but they are too inquiring to be just casual, and Jongin files him in on all information he can reveal about Sehun and his current condition, as well as his project.  
  
"So you're trying to make him cry tears of happiness?" Luhan asks, a little smile on his face. "That is... ambitious. Usually, people don't cry tears of happiness that easily. You will need to make him really, really happy to do so, and I wish you all the luck to accomplish that. Sehun deserves that after those traumatizing days in the basement."  
  
Jongin nods. "Yeah. But how do I do that without knowing what makes him happy? Sehun doesn't even want to tell me his favorite color. In fact, he doesn't talk to me at all. Not even a thank you after taking care of his injuries." He huffs.  
  
At that Luhan can only laugh. "Well, you don't have to ask him, you know? I'm sure people around him know a bit about him as well. They might not know all details and all his thoughts, but by bringing that knowledge together you can draw a picture of him. Figuratively I mean."  
  
"Is that how you work?" Jongin asks.  
  
"When I'm stuck and can't get the wanted information directly, then yes."  
  
  
  
  
  
It is not easy to find hints on what might possibly trigger tears of happiness. Sehun is almost an enigma, but Jongin is determined to find out all of his secrets. He thought he knew Sehun’s biggest secret, the one he has been hiding from the world, but apparently, his tears turning into crystals is not the biggest secret. There are a lot of things people don’t know about Oh Sehun, and so Jongin’s hunt for information is frustratingly fruitless. People can only tell him the same thing: Sehun is a good student, popular because of his looks, but a loner. Along with that information come a lot of rumors, most of them ridiculous. They speculate Sehun might be part of the mafia, some even thinking he is a mafia boss, others simply explain his loner tendencies with anxiety, which is probably closest to the truth. Sehun is anxious indeed, avoiding human interaction out of fear of being found out.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin only spends a few hours every day to drive around Sehun’s neighborhood. The rest of the time Jongin spends at home, trying to warm Sehun up to him, with more or less success. Sehun doesn’t flinch away when Jongin comes to take a look at his bruises, but the mistrust is still there. It will probably never go away completely.  
  
It’s good enough though. There is small progress and Jongin is content with taking one step after the other. Albeit not full laughter, Sehun does smile a little. Jongin chuckles quietly to himself when he catches the boy biting on his lip while they are watching some silly action comedy. Good old Jackie Chan, who could resist laughing out loud while watching? Surely, Sehun is no exception, even if he tries his best not to grin.  
  
“What?” Sehun says.  
  
“What?” Jongin asks back.  
  
“You’re staring at me and you’re grinning,” Sehun says. Another progress they have made. Sehun talks a bit now, not much, but he does open his mouth when he has a question or when he wants to voice an opinion, such as  _I don’t want to eat the carrots_  or  _why do you keep giving me milk to drink? I hate milk unless it’s flavored milk_. It’s kind of cute, the baby kind of cute, because Jongin sees Sehun more and more like a sweet child by day, a little brother so to say. He feels sorry for kidnapping the other, but at least the boy doesn’t get beaten anymore, right? It could be worse.  
  
“You’re smiling,” Jongin points out then. “I was just surprised. I’ve never seen you smile before. It looks cute on you.”  
  
Sehun stares at him, a scowl on his face.  
  
“Okay, I take it back. You don’t look cute at all.”  
  
Instead of the scowl, there is now a frown on Sehun’s face.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin feels exhausted. Slowly, he is running out of ideas how to make Sehun laugh so much he would have to shed tears. He has used all methods in his repertoire, ranging from watching the most hilarious movies – Jongin has never laughed that much in his entire life, tears springing into his eyes, but Sehun doesn’t even giggle – to telling jokes – either Jongin has a really bad humor or Sehun is a boring person because all those jokes are the best ones recommended by friends and colleagues – and tickling.  
  
Well, the tickles do work. When in the beginning Jongin has been rather cautious with touching Sehun, after two weeks of spending time together, even sleeping on the same bed together because Jongin only owns one, Sehun doesn’t mind Jongin close by. They sit next to each other when they watch movies, and occasionally, Sehun leans against him, snuggling into his side when he gets drowsy. And so one day Jongin tries to tickle Sehun.  
  
Sehun is ticklish, but instead of the clear diamonds Jongin expects to earn, he finds rubies instead, dark red with ugly spots. Sehun doesn’t feel good after the tickle attack and snaps at Jongin afterwards, once Jongin has let go of the boy. At least Jongin knows he doesn’t need to try tickling Sehun again. Sehun has yelled at him, telling him not to touch him ever again, to keep his fingers to himself with more tears flowing, more dotted rubies falling and spreading around the room. It is surprising to draw such a strong reaction, but there might be more to it than simply the dislike towards being touched.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sehun has been lying though. He still lets Jongin touch him, and at night the boy still curls up to his side. Jongin has long developed a habit of pulling the boy into a hug, spooning him from behind. It is warm like that and comforting, and Jongin feels a weird tingle in his chest and his stomach.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Still no progress?” Junmyeon asks and Jongin has to let him down again. He still hasn’t found out the formula to make Sehun cry the pretty kind of tears that will turn into diamonds. He has seen a variety of red jewels though, none of them the perfect shape, color or quality to satisfy Junmyeon’s greed though.  
  
“No. I’m doing my best, hyung, really,” he sighs and Luhan looks at him with sympathy.  
  
“You know how much time it takes to get the wanted information sometimes,” Luhan says. “Be patient with the kid. You can’t rush things if you want to get information from sensitive people.”  
  
Junmyeon’s stare is icy when he turns to Luhan, who keeps on a poker face, and Jongin wonders how much more indifferent Luhan has to grow before Junmyeon realizes that it does them no good. There are rumors going around headquarters, among both high and low ranks, speculations of the boss’s possible interest – romantic interest – in one of his closest people. It is not difficult to guess who Junmyeon’s target must be, considering the fact that the rare times he smiles, it is usually when it’s about either his right or his left hand man – Sehun or Luhan. It is Luhan of course. Jongin might not know if they are together or not, but if they are Junmyeon will need to be more willing to relent and compromise or else Luhan will leave, not only as a lover (or a potential one), but also as a close friend and subordinate. Luhan has confided in him, telling him he’s not feeling at home anymore.  
  
“I need to figure Sehun out,” Jongin says then. “And while he does trust me a bit now, it is not enough for him to talk to me about everything he knows about his own ability. I hope it won’t take longer than a month until he does.”  
  
“You hope?” Junmyeon asks, eyebrow raised.  
  
“I promise,” Jongin replies in a more quiet tone. “If it doesn’t work out until then, I’ll let someone else take care of him again.”  
  
“Good. I need you for other missions, too. You can’t sit around to babysit that child all day. Besides, bad crystals are still better than no crystals, and the way I see it you are unable to bring him to tears.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
And he is dismissed with a wave of hand again.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin is even more determined to find a way to make Sehun cry diamonds now. He checks Sehun’s background again, cruising through Sehun’s neighborhood and asking people that might know the boy. Even if there is now two, almost three months since his disappearance, there surely must be people knowing Sehun well that Jongin has never talked to before. People that still haven’t forgotten Sehun.  
  
Day after day, Jongin does all that, knowing there is only a small chance for success, but he tries nonetheless. The result is always the same. Nothing new.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Hey, Jongin,” Sehun asks one day. They are watching a movie together, and while Jongin has been immersed in the plot Sehun seems to be otherwise occupied. He must have been thinking a lot or else he wouldn’t be asking Jongin questions now. Another progress the assassin would think, for Sehun has never initiated a conversation before.  
  
“Why are you so nice to me?”  
  
Jongin stops the movie to turn to the boy next to him. There is some space between them, Sehun refusing all kinds of skinship if it was not cuddling in bed. A result of that tickle attack that Jongin wishes he had never done or thought of. Having Sehun resting his head on his shoulder while watching movies is oddly calming and comforting.  
  
“Well, is there a reason I should not be nice to you?”  
  
Sehun stares at him for a while.  
  
“But… you’re part of EXO, too, right? Aren’t you part of the mafia? Aren’t you supposed to work with… them?” There is mildly disguised disgust in Sehun’s voice when he talks about Jongin’s colleagues, but it’s not like Jongin could blame Sehun. Most of their members are rogues, and only a few are reasonable and somehow still human – in the sense of being proper, moral beings, empathic and mindful of others. Like Luhan and most of their IT people, their nurses and doctors who are not directly involved in the dirty business.  
  
“Not everyone in EXO are that bad,” Jongin says. “If you meet Luhan one day, I’m sure you will like Luhan. He is probably the nicest person here.”  
  
“But why are you so nice to me? Aren’t you a killer? I heard them talking while passing this room.” Sehun bites on his lower lip. “Are you going to kill me one day?”  
  
“I am. But I don’t kill good people like you. I don’t kill children either. You’re still a child.”  
  
“I’m nineteen years old,” Sehun deadpans.  
  
“And still very green,” Jongin counters with a grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.” At least Jongin hopes he’ll never have to; he’s grown too fond of the boy who is like a mirrored picture of his younger self. But who knows if Junmyeon won’t give the order to kill Sehun in the spur of the moment. Junmyeon might be a strategist, but he is not completely free and independent from his feelings either.  
  
  
  
  
  
It is three days later when Jongin discovers the real reason why he is so nice to Sehun. Luhan has remarked that he has been smiling a lot more lately, that his whole appearance seemed friendlier, his gaze not so fierce, his demeanor not as aggressive as before, but Jongin has shrugged that off. Now he can see the changes within himself, too.  
  
When Sehun laughs loudly for the first time, his whole body shaking with laughter at what Jongin says – he hasn’t even tried to be funny, he just mashed two words together when he was retelling some story he heard of – Jongin is enchanted. Sehun’s laughter is almost magical, like bells ringing, like sunshine. Jongin’s chest hurts just seeing the pair of crescents on Sehun’s face, the nose slightly wrinkled and his mouth wide agape. It should look ugly to him, but it doesn’t. Sehun looks simply beautiful.  
  
Jongin doesn’t quite understand the way his body reacts or why his head became a blank. He flees, leaving a surprised Sehun behind. He runs to Kyungsoo, not wanting to deal with the Diamond Boy for a while.  
  
“Aren’t you supposed to work?” Kyungsoo asks, knowing that it’s Jongin just by the sound of his footsteps. He is still staring at his screen, eyes flickering over every row of code appearing on the otherwise black screen. To Jongin it is just a randomly meshed letter salad.  
  
“Taking a break,” Jongin mumbles and settles on the empty seat next to Kyungsoo where usually Baekhyun would sit and program while simultaneously bothering his colleague.  
  
“Where’s Baek?” He asks.  
  
“Taking a dump. Now reply to my question. Shouldn’t you be working or did you milk Diamond Boy already?” Jongin grimaces at the choice of words because he might or might not have been thinking inappropriately.  
  
“No, he didn’t cry diamonds yet,” Jongin sighs. “But I needed a break. He was laughing and it kind of overwhelmed me, so...”  
  
Now that he thinks about it, Jongin feels silly.  
  
“How so?” Kyungsoo asks, typing so fast that a few strings of code appear on the screen within seconds, momentarily distracting Jongin who really needs some distraction from the laughing Sehun imprinted in his mind.  
  
“Okay, let me guess. He is either hurting your man pride because you feel not taken serious enough or he looks so divine when laughing your chest feels like exploding. If it’s the latter then congrats. You, for the first time since the beginning of times, have fallen in love.”  
  
“What the fuck-“  
  
“Well, didn’t you come here to hear my true and wise words?”  
  
Jongin might have come here for some kind of advice, but that revelation… He couldn’t admit to either of it yet.  
  
“I didn’t-“ Jongin protests weakly but is waved away by his friend.  
  
“Baekhyun’s gonna return soon and I’d appreciate it if you could make some space. Unlike you, some people are taking their work seriously.”  
  
And just like that Jongin is sent away to further reflect on his actions and thoughts. And just like that Jongin has come to the conclusion that he might be crushing on the boy they are holding hostage still. No, he is pretty sure that he does like Sehun a lot, a lot more than he should, and that is complicating things further. Or is it an advantage? Because now it is not only a task to make Sehun happy, but it is his personal wish, too. It would be nice to see Sehun smile and laughe a lot more in the future. And it would be even better if Sehun would smile and laugh because of him, just like earlier today.  
  
  
  
  
  
It starts with little presents. Jongin has brought Sehun different food every day, trying to find Sehun’s favorite dishes which has proved to be difficult because Sehun is a rather picky eater. Not only that, but Sehun doesn’t tell him if there is a dish among those Jongin serves him that he likes. Jongin has to interpret Sehun’s expressions that stay mainly the same, usually showing disgust only. Now that Jongin knows he is quite fond of the boy, he doesn’t bring different dishes only – he brings a variety of sweets and snacks to eat in between, too, and so he finds out that Sehun has a sweet tooth.  
  
Sehun’s face always lights up, a grin plastered all over it when Jongin brings some cake or a new kind of gummi bears or candy that Sehun hasn’t tried yet. It painfully reminds the assassin that Sehun is still a kid despite his age, his behavior more innocent and child-like than Sehun wants to admit. Sehun still does his best to act strong and tough, even if everyone here has seen him breaking down already.  
  
It is not only delicacies that Jongin brings though. Whenever he is out to find more information on Sehun he tries to find a little present to go along the sweets, too. Sometimes it is a notebook with a pretty motif on it, other times it is a pencil or a bracelet even. Sehun eyes them with suspicion first, but later, the more presents he is given, Sehun accepts them with a little smile and a  _thank you_  just as shy.  
  
Jongin doesn’t mind spending a little more of his own money on Sehun when it paints a grin on Sehun’s face. He has long grown accustomed to a happy Sehun – as happy as Sehun can be while still being in hostage, encaged and chained in Jongin’s room – greeting him when he comes back. Sehun’s eyes shine like a child awaiting Christmas presents, and when he receives his little surprise present, his eyes seem to twinkle even more. Jongin knows it is not what he is supposed to do, falling for a boy Junmyeon wants to use like a tool, but he can’t help it. Sehun is still so pure, so untainted, and so different from all the people that have surrounded Jongin all his life, and despite growing up with the mafia, growing up to become part of the mafia, Jongin has always yearned to be someone else, to do something else. When he went to school, a regular, public school, everyone else seemed to be so much happier, so much more cheerful. Jongin wished to lead a life like theirs, but it was impossible when he was not allowed to make friends with kids that were not somehow part of their family.  
  
“Jongin?” Sehun asks, and when Jongin snaps out of it, he finds the boy staring at him.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Can I ask you something?” Sehun bites on his lip, hesitating for a bit, and Jongin files that expression away, keeping it in his memories and in his heart, the sight of a shy, hesitant Sehun.  
  
“Ask away,” Jongin says and leans back against the door, Sehun standing in front of him, fingers fiddling with the little plush cat Jongin has brought him this time.  
  
“Why are you doing all this? Giving me presents and such. Are you trying to make me talk? Are you trying to make me tell you how I cry diamonds?”  
  
“You’ve been talking a lot lately,” Jongin chuckles. He can sense Sehun’s impatience though, so he decides to be direct. It’s not like he wants to beat around the bush, but this is the first time he is actually liking someone romantically, so he is not too sure how to go about it except for being his usual, direct self.  
  
“If I told you, I doubt you would believe me,” he says, smiling at Sehun’s challenging gaze. The boy has become quite cheeky lately, but Jongin doesn’t mind if that means Sehun is livelier.  
  
“I like you. That’s the reason. You’re a cute kid and I want to see you happy.”  
  
Sehun seems speechless for a while, frozen in place with lips parted, eyes wide. And when Sehun speaks up, his words are truth and the truth hurts.  
  
“If you really liked me you wouldn’t have brought me here. If you really like me, you would have brought me to a better place. If you really like me you would have let me leave this place already.”  
  
  
  
  
  
If there has been any progress with their friendship it seems like Jongin has destroyed all of it simply with his confession, and rebuilding what they had seems even more difficult than when he started at zero before. Now it feels like he has to put in double the efforts to make Sehun like him again. Sehun doesn’t even cuddle with him at night anymore and that means the boy must be really, really upset. Jongin can only sigh at that, not wanting to admit that he misses holding Sehun.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin wishes he could take it back, but life is not a movie one could rewind or fast forward to a nicer scene, and so he has to live with the immediate consequences. Junmyeon is bugging him again, and despite Luhan coming to his aid and calming down his brother, he knows he can’t avoid it. He might have to let Sehun go back to the basement again, to terror and torture, if Sehun doesn’t give them clear diamonds. At the same time, Jongin doesn’t want to press Sehun too much. His intuition tells him not to, and so it comes as a surprise when he finds Sehun spilling tears that transform into the most perfect diamonds he has ever seen, symmetrical shape, clear and brilliant. It seems almost too easy when all Jongin had to do was to give Sehun a pet cat to hold. Jongin knows it is not that easy though.  
  
The cat is a stray cat Sehun recognizes immediately. “Prince Baek,” he keeps whispering into the furry ball of white, ignoring the poor kitten’s mewling. Jongin watches as Sehun’s lips tremble, but there is a smile edged on them nonetheless.  
  
“How did you find him?” Sehun asks, wiping at his eyes when he lets go of the cat that has been squirming in discomfort, a diamond stuck on his sleeve.  
  
“Prince Baek was in front of your apartment door. It seems like he was waiting for you, at least according to Mrs. Jeon. She has fed Prince Baek since you weren’t there, and she was asking for you. I’m sorry I could only tell her that I was searching for you. She seems to be very fond of you,” he says, recalling his conversation with the old lady living in the apartment at the end of the floor of the same complex Sehun was living in. She was worried about Sehun and Jongin felt bad because he couldn’t tell her the truth. After all, she would most likely be killed if she knew about Sehun being kidnapped by EXO. The woman seemed strong and smart and would most likely call the police to investigate and that Junmyeon would never let happen.  
  
“Mrs. Jeon… She is a good person. Can you say thank her for helping Prince Baek?”  
  
“I wish I could,” Jongin whispers. “But that would mean risking her life. The boss wouldn’t like people to know what happened to you. So let’s keep her safe by not telling her, okay?”  
  
Sehun nods, expression hardening as Jongin collects the shed tears, the diamonds Junmyeon has been talking about for months, the diamonds Jongin has tried to get for weeks.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin delivering two handfuls of the diamonds is enough to keep Junmyeon off their backs for a while. Jongin knows that his brother is greedy, a trait both of them have inherited from their father, although they both know how to control themselves – for a certain period of time. And while Junmyeon yearns for more power and more wealth, Jongin finds himself yearning for Sehun to acknowledge him. He just wants Sehun to talk to him again, and the cat, Prince Baek, breaks the ice between them.  
  
Sehun has been begging him to keep the cat and while Jongin is not a cat person, hating stray cats especially, he has allowed the younger male to keep the pet. He has even gotten a litter box and a scratching post for Sehun’s furry friend, and that had lifted Sehun’s mood a lot, though not enough to trigger more tears of happiness. It is enough for Sehun to talk to Jongin again, a sheepish expression on his face when he apologizes for giving Jongin the cold shoulder.  
  
“I’m sorry. I know you’re not the one who decided that. You really do like me, right? That’s why you took care of me and that’s why you give me presents and respect my opinions as well. I shouldn’t be complaining. I apologize for acting like a brat.”  
  
Jongin doesn’t reply to that apology, but he pulls Sehun into a hug, one palm caressing Sehun’s left cheek, the other one rubbing circles into the small of Sehun’s back. Sehun understands without words, head resting on Jongin’s shoulder. Jongin couldn’t be any happier.  
  
  
  
  
  
Junmyeon is demanding, but despite being rushed to get another batch of jewels, Jongin wants to slow down and work on a potential relationship with Sehun who has become rather clingy. It might be a childish jealousy because the cat keeps tackling Jongin and draping itself all over Jongin in his sleep while leaving white fur on his almost exclusively black and dark clothing, but Jongin enjoys it nonetheless, hoping it is also sympathy and maybe more that makes Sehun act that way.  
  
Sehun is cuddling into him at night, arms around Jongin’s body as he presses close, and when they watch movies and even when they just sit on the couch to talk Sehun keeps inching closer to lean against Jongin or cuddle like an oversized, living teddy bear. It is a bit odd, but cute, too, and more often than not Jongin pulls Sehun into his lap now so he can rest his chin on Sehun’s shoulder. It is not the most comfortable position – Sehun is surprisingly heavy – but the closeness makes up for it. And when Jongin presses a little kiss on a bony shoulder while in a drowsy daze one day, Sehun turns around, his eyes questioning.  
  
“Jongin, what are you doing?”  
  
Jongin blinks, slowly waking up. “What?”  
  
“You were kissing my shoulder!” Sehun accuses, uncertainty lacing his tone.  
  
“Was I?” Jongin asks back, still half asleep, half dreaming, and that is why he is daring, not thinking of possible consequences. “I’d rather kiss your lips though.”  
  
“J-Jongin, I…”  
  
He pulls Sehun close, not noting the stiffness of the other’s shoulders or the hesitance in the other’s stance. All he notices is how soft Sehun’s lips are and how nice they feel against his own pair. Sehun’s lips are soft and warm, the way Jongin has imagined them, and in no time he has the boy pinned under him, kissing insistently until they are both out of breath.  
  
“I like you a lot, Sehun,” he whispers, nuzzling his face into Sehun’s neck. “And I would be the happiest man on earth if you liked me back.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin wakes up the next morning to a Sehun staring at his face, light pink dusting the usual creamy skin. He sits up and stretches his arms, taking note of the sullen expression on Sehun’s face.  
  
“So grumpy early in the morning?” Jongin asks with a chuckle, his amusement fading when Sehun’s mood doesn’t brighten with a stupid remark. Did something happen at night?  
  
“Did you forget what happened yesterday?” Sehun asks, not bothering to conceal how miffed he is.  
  
“Are you upset I fell asleep in midst of the movie?” Jongin tries to guess, but that only makes the boy next to him frown.  
  
“Alright, I don’t know,” Jongin sighs. “Fill me in?”  
  
Sehun watches him carefully for a minute before he speaks up.  
  
“We kissed,” the boy whispers. “I thought you really liked me, but you forgot.”  
  
It takes Jongin a minute to process those words. He keeps staring at Sehun for a long time before he finally moves, pulling Sehun close. He interprets Sehun’s reaction as anger and disappointment and hopes he is right because that means he will get to kiss Sehun more in the future, and not only in his dreams.  
  
“I thought I was dreaming that part,” Jongin whispers back, tone calm and quiet. “So I wasn’t sure if you are okay with it. But if you really are, then I would like to kiss you again.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin is on cloud seven. He can’t explain why or how Sehun does it, but whenever he is home, with Sehun on his lip, Sehun in his arms, Sehun pressing close to him, happiness courses through him. He doesn’t need Sehun to kiss him, even if it is just their fingertips brushing as they both lay spread eagle on the bed, he feels content. Sehun trusts him, Sehun likes him back, and that is all he will ever need, though he wishes there is more he could do for the boy he loves to dote on.  
  
  
  
  
  
He can’t really call it dating when Sehun and he can’t go on proper dates. Junmyeon doesn’t give him permission to take Sehun out. Of course Jongin hasn’t tried asking and Junmyeon doesn’t know that Sehun and Jongin like each other either, and even if he knew, Jongin doubts his brother will let go of Sehun and treat him like a free person. Sehun, to Junmyeon at least, is no more than a tool or livestock actually. Jongin is quite sure Junmyeon sees Sehun more like a cow he could milk.  
  
Not going out, all Jongin and Sehun do all day is to spend time together in Jongin’s rooms, watching movies and eating, occasionally doing some sports, a bit of stretching and yoga because Jongin insists on keeping Sehun healthy, a remark that makes Sehun roll his eyes every time, but when Jongin starts the session, Sehun still participates, laughing because they both look silly trying to copy the poses from some videos found on the internet. Jongin has no idea of sports actually.  
  
It’s not much but they are happy, as happy as they can when one is still bound to the rooms. Jongin has to bring Sehun souvenirs and little presents to show him the world outside, reminding Sehun that there is more in this world than the four walls he is stuck in 24/7.  
  
It is never the amount of happiness enough to drive Sehun to tears, but that is okay. Jongin feels rather guilty, now that he is still thinking of schemes to make Sehun cry – order is order. There will be consequences if he doesn’t follow Junmyeon’s words. At least he can save Sehun from the abuse like this, as long as he brings a handful of diamonds each month.  
  
Jongin doesn’t like how he is forced to interact with Sehun, how he has to tickle and playfully tackle and fight with Sehun until there are tears that often turn into rubies of a wonderful shade, clear and free of spots that might lessen their value. Tears that accompany beautiful laughter. Jongin wants to think that those rubies stand for Sehun’s love and passion for him, but he can never be too sure. Sehun doesn’t talk about how he feels often and even now, when Sehun allows their lips to press together, he is not sure if Sehun does love him the same way Jongin loves him. Does Sehun know that he is serious?  
  
He tries to forget that the way he acts around Sehun is not completely driven by his feelings alone, but that is difficult when every other day Junmyeon praises him for his good work, yet still asks for more. Jongin doesn’t know how to explain to his brother that it is impossible to force feelings too much. One wrong move and Sehun’s trust could be shattered, broken forever with no way to glue it back together. And with his trust, Sehun’s love might disappear, too, and Jongin, for once, is greedy and selfish. He wants to keep Sehun’s love and hold it for all eternity, his brother and the mafia, the family he grew up with, suddenly not first priority anymore.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Jongin,” Sehun says falling right into his arms when Jongin is back from a trip outside. He has been trying to find a little present for his boyfriend – they are boyfriends, right? – though he is not quite sure if he has found a good thing. Sehun might be talking a lot more now, but he doesn’t reveal a lot about himself still, and so Jongin’s hunt for gifts to prove his appreciation is a hunt for an unknown target.  
  
“Hi baby,” Jongin chuckles, one arm wrapping around Sehun’s waist, the other hand holding up a paper bag. “For you.”  
  
Sehun smiles brightly at him, snatching away the bag and pulling out the content. It amuses Jongin how eager he is and how happy he looks with every little thing Jongin brings. There are times when Jongin makes a wrong choice though, like when he brought a movie that had rather upset Sehun. Right now he eyes the other with curiosity, waiting for a reaction.  
  
“This is…” Sehun stares at the book cover, blinking a few times before he looks at Jongin quizzically. “Fairy tales?”  
  
“Yeah. I found it in an antiquaries shop. It’s in German. You major in German, right? And I thought you might like the illustrations,” Jongin says and takes the book out of the other’s hand. He opens it, showing Sehun the pages. He still feels a bit nervous because it is unclear if Sehun likes the book or not.  
  
“Oh, is this Rumpelstiltskin?” Sehun asks as Jongin keeps turning the pages. He stops and stares at the picture of the pretty miller’s daughter, blonde hair almost golden as she was spinning straw. Jongin stares, too, unsure what to say. Is Sehun happy about it or not? His tone doesn’t give it away, neither does his expression.  
  
“Is it your favorite fairy tale?” Jongin ask hesitantly, the silence strange when usually Sehun would talk, chirping like an excited child.  
  
“It’s…” Sehun sighs and retreats, sitting down on the bed. Jongin frowns, unsure how to interpret that, but he follows Sehun’s motion of patting the space next to him, sitting down next to the boy.  
  
“Do you know the tale of Rumpelstiltskin?” Sehun asks and Jongin shakes his head. No, he has no ideas about fairy tales. It wasn’t really his thing, but that might be because he has never been interested in reading much. He wouldn’t have had time for that anyway, his waking hours spent with preparations to become a mafia member the moment he could walk on relatively stable feet.  
  
“Okay, I’ll keep it short then,” Sehun starts, scooting back to lean against the headboard. Jongin follows and sits next to Sehun, one arm slung over the other’s shoulder, the book in his lap, his hands turning the pages as Sehun keeps talking.  
  
“There was once a miller who boasted to the king, telling him his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king let his servants bring the poor girl, and in his greed he orders her to spin straw into gold. He gives her one day to finish off a whole room filled with straw, threatening to behead her if she could not manage it.”  
  
“That’s cruel,” Jongin huffs. “How would she be able to do it? A whole room filled with straw in just one day?” Sehun gives him a long stare that shuts him up, knowing that he shouldn’t be talking about cruelty when he is one of those cruel people, too, killing without any hesitance.  
  
“Anyways. In the story, the girl is not able to do it. Her father was lying, and so she sat in the room and cried, mourning over her short life. But then suddenly a little man appeared, promising to help her in exchange for the gold ring on her finger, a present from her late mother.“  
  
Sehun pauses for a moment. “Do you want to hear the rest of the story?”  
  
Jongin nods.  
  
“The king was happy about the outcome, but he tested the girl another time. He gave her another room, a bigger room filled with straw for her to take care of, and, just like the last time, the little man came in to help her. This time, he asked for her first born child and in her despair, she took the offer and promised her child to the man. And when the king came back the next morning, seeing the whole room filled with gold, he proposed to the girl and they married. The next winter, when her first child was born, the man came to get his part of the deal.”  
  
“Wait,” Jongin interrupts. “That’s not a happy ending. I thought all fairy tales had happy endings. Why is she marrying that greedy king? And now she is losing her child, too?”  
  
“I wasn’t finished,” Sehun says, elbowing Jongin with a chuckle. “So let me finish. The girl cried and begged, so the man gave her three days to find out his name. The first day she tried every name she could think of. The second day she tried every name her people could come up with. And on the third day, one of her servants told her they found an odd man dancing and jumping around a campfire, singing his own name. And so she knew of his name and could tell him. The little man was so angry about it that he ran away, leaving the queen to live peacefully with the king and her child.”  
  
“I don’t like that story,” Jongin deadpans. “So is it your favorite fairy tale or not? If it is then I must question your taste.”  
  
Jongin grins as he hears Sehun laugh. He is tickling Sehun, liking the way Sehun squirms and tries to swat away his hands. He has mercy on the other when Sehun begs for it, asking Jongin to stop with laughter in between, a sound that is music to Jongin’s ears.  
  
“It’s not… my favorite,” Sehun says, still panting softly as he recovers from the tickle attack, arms wrapping around his own body for protection. Jongin lifts his hands, holding them up as a promise to not tickle Sehun again, not so soon that is. There is a grin on Jongin’s face, mirroring Sehun’s upturn of lips.  
  
“Why did you mention it then? You didn’t comment on the other fairy tales.”  
  
“Well,” Sehun starts. “It’s not really my favorite. But you know how they say there might be a little bit of truth in every story told? They changed a lot of the story, but the truth is, a person like that existed. I can’t explain why, but the gold spinning miller’s daughter, she existed. Her story was only twisted later to cover up and to protect her. A servant of the king fell in love with her, loved her for real and not for her ability alone. He ran away with her and they lived a life in hiding. I’m not sure what happened after, but that family… not all were gifted or should I say cursed? With the ability to turn things into desired, expensive materials. It’s not always exactly the same ability.”  
  
Jongin can pick up the shakiness in Sehun’s voice, wishing Sehun would stop talking and calm down, but at the same time he is curious, too. Sehun never tells him anything about himself and this, having the other confide in him, telling him about his family, is a milestone in their relationship, romantic or not. What Sehun tells him now is a treasure for Jongin, greater and more valuable than anything he owns, and Jongin swears to himself that he will keep this knowledge secret and all for himself.  
  
“My mother could turn marbles into pearls, prettier than those found in the best nurtured clams in the sea.”  
  
“I miss her,” Sehun whispers like an afterthought, and when Jongin looks at Sehun, he watches as teardrops turn into stones, the color a deep blue. What does blue mean? Sadness? Some kind of longing? Is that the kind of feeling people are referring to when they say they’re having the blues? How ironic, Jongin thinks, pulling Sehun into his arms. For comfort. For consolation.  
  
“Don’t cry, darling,” he whispers, pressing a kiss on Sehun’s temple. He doesn’t dare to ask what has happened to Sehun’s mother. All he knows is that Sehun is alone, without any family, but did she really pass away or was Sehun separated from her? Could she have been kidnapped, just like Sehun? It hurts him to see Sehun like this for he never wants to see any sad tears on Sehun’s face again. He only wants the happy ones, those that turn into diamonds. Not because Junmyeon is asking for them, but for the sole reason that Sehun deserves to be happy. He really does, and Jongin would do anything to make his Diamond Boy the happiest in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

He is not a person to act rashly without thinking his options through, but that means analyzing and not daydreaming like he is now. In his daydreams he imagines a different life, one that has Sehun laughing without any cares and worries, one that has Sehun’s eyes shine brightly. A life in which Sehun doesn’t have to hide and subsequently, Jongin doesn’t need to hide him either.  
  
Jongin is well aware of their situation right now and everything he desires – Sehun’s complete and perfect happiness – is impossible. Sehun is okay living like this, but for how much longer? No living existence wants to be bound like this, not when they have been robbed off their natural freedom. Sehun hasn’t been outside in the city for months now, and he hasn’t been to classes either. He is most likely exmatriculated by now. He will be quite upset when he gets the chance to attend classes again, only to find out that officially, he is not a student anymore. Jongin can imagine how difficult it is to enroll in Seoul National, and if in his records it is stated that he dropped out once, who knew if he could apply for another university that easily again, despite his rather good grades.  
  
But what is more important? Safety or freedom? The other option would be to escape because Junmyeon would never let Sehun lead a relatively free life. He can tell his brother doesn’t trust the boy, and honestly, Jongin doesn’t trust that Sehun would come back again if he was ever allowed to set a foot outside. Sehun would run away and hide, just like the miller’s daughter with the golden hands had done in the real story.  
  
Jongin imagines himself to be the servant, the one to rescue Sehun who is the miller’s daughter in the story. He imagines Junmyeon as the greedy king, wanting nothing but the poor maiden, his Sehun, to bring more wealth and riches, while his servant and subordinate Jongin fell in love with Sehun. They would run away together, always on the hide, but at least they would be together. The king did not chase them forever and Junmyeon wouldn’t either, right?  
  
No, in that part reality could never be like fairy tales. Reality was harsher. Junmyeon was stubborn and if he wanted a thing he would work until he got it in his hands. If Jongin ran away with Sehun, his brother would not hesitate to hunt them down, to send his friend and colleagues, his _family_  after him. He and Sehun would not stand a chance against the whole team of EXO, skilled people that worked the best as a team. They would never defy Junmyeon, they wouldn’t dare to even think about defying him.  
  
Oh God. He was thinking about betraying his brother and his family. What has Sehun turned him into?  
  
  
  
  
  
“A lovesick fool.” Junmyeon snarls. Jongin pales at those words, eyes darting to Luhan who looks away. Has he been betrayed by one he counts as friends? He doubts so, since Luhan has always supported him with Sehun, occasionally handing him some snacks to forward to Sehun, as well as giving him suggestions on what to get for Sehun next. Luhan would have never told, would he?  
  
“Luhan did not say anything,” Junmyeon says, observant as ever. Jongin shouldn’t have glanced at the Chinese boy because surely, the leader’s wrath will hit both of them now. “It’s obvious to everyone. You’re getting soft lately, Jongin. You haven’t been on proper missions and checking your expenses it seems you’ve spent quite an amount on Diamond Boy.”  
  
“Now, what did pretty Sehunnie do to seduce you as well? My two best men enamored by a kid.” Junmyeon hisses. “Snap out of it, Kai. Do you think he likes you? Hell, you kidnapped him. You’re the reason for his miserable being. It’s because of you he is stuck here. He’s taking advantage of your too soft heart. Once you help him outside he will ditch you. He will get away from you as fast as possible. You’re a killer and he is just a kid, trying his best to lead a normal life. You’re ruthless, with too much blood on your hands. Do you think he would stay by your side if he gets to choose?”  
  
Jongin swallows. No, of course not. Junmyeon is right, as always. Sehun has been loathing him. A few presents and nice words would never be enough to express how sorry he feels for his crime, and Sehun being nice to him doesn’t mean Sehun would want the life Jongin is picturing for them – a life together. Sehun doesn’t belong here, to the mafia, to EXO, to Jongin.  
  
“He wouldn’t,” Jongin mumbles in defeat. “He wouldn’t.”  
  
“Therefore I will need you to stay away from that boy. I’ll send you details for your next mission soon. You need to get back in the game.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
  
  
  
  
There is no farewell. Jongin doesn’t say goodbye to Sehun as Junmyeon’s orders. He needs to detach from the boy, because right now, he is still under Sehun’s spell. He hasn’t been thinking clearly lately. Being under Sehun’s influence he has forgotten what it means to be part of EXO. He has forgotten his role within the organization, his responsibilities, but also the safety and the promise of support from his brothers and sisters.  
  
Sehun is not part of this, so Sehun doesn’t know. Sehun knows nothing about Jongin’s life, so Sehun can’t hold the key to his happiness. Jongin is better off without Sehun. He has been happy with his life before, living with the comfort of having reliable people around him, other sinners, just like him, but kind to their peers, understanding and loving. Sehun would never understand this. He would never be able to become a part of EXO because he had too high morals. Just like Luhan. Luhan doesn’t quite belong to them either.  
  
When Jongin returns to his room later in the afternoon, Sehun has already been brought to another place. He doesn’t know where, but that doesn’t matter right now, does it? Sehun needs to be gone, though traces of him are still lingering, like the book Jongin has brought, opened and on the bedside table, or the few plushies Sehun would always align on the bed. Jongin gets rid of those, of everything, but the fairy tales. Somehow he can’t bring himself to do it, reasoning that fairy tales are nice enough literature to read before going to bed, even though his German is very much limited; he remembers almost nothing from those three years learnt at school.  
  
He doesn’t ask where Sehun has been brought to. There is curiosity sparkling under the surface, but Jongin does his best to keep it at bay. It is none of his business anymore, and even without asking, Jongin can still guess. It is not difficult to tell. Sehun will most likely be brought back to the cellar, back to the life he had lead before Jongin had taken care of him. Jongin tries not to picture it, how Sehun would be brought to tears, with threats and punches, driven by frustration and anger.  
  
It is none of Jongin’s business, so he doesn’t care. He really doesn’t. Sehun means nothing to him. Sehun is no one to him. All Jongin needs is Junmyeon and family because they need him, too.  
  
  
  
  
  
As promised, there is a new mission waiting for him to be executed. It is an easy one, as if Junmyeon wants to ease him into his old routines. Jongin chuckles, amused at that treatment. He still thinks he can do his job properly. It’s not like taking one or two months of break from this business would mean a rapid decrease of skill. Jongin is still good at shooting people down as he proves in their practice rooms, his bullets hitting the target with precision – right into the heart, right through the head of those dummies.  
  
  
  
  
  
It is a clean shot, executed in the right moment. Jongin grins to himself, satisfied with his quick work, but when he turns the corner there is a security guard who shoots at him. Jongin’s reflexes are quick, yet they are only fast enough for him not to get hit in any vital organs. The bullet is in his arm, and despite the pain, Jongin starts running, glad that this time he has brought some back up. His intuition was right, even if his pride didn’t want to admit that he felt unsure about it.  
  
Jongin only needs to get out of the building, the van waiting right there to drive back to headquarters. Baekhyun doesn’t comment on Jongin’s injury, but he seems tensed, speeding up to get back to their medical center.  
  
He can’t look Junmyeon in the eye afterwards. He has finished his work, killed the parliamentarian involved in some blackmailing scandal, with a picture as proof, but at the same time the quality of his work was not satisfying. He should have come out unscathed, and belatedly he realizes that he didn’t kill the security guard like he would usually, when someone else witnessed his doing. If he was unlucky, the police might have a clue to find him. That didn’t mean that their whole organization was doomed, but it meant laying low for some time and hoping that no one would recognize him once his wounds were completely healed. It would be good if the wound would not scar but Jongin was not stupid to be hopeful.  
  
“I told you, you’ve been slacking off,” Junmyeon says before he stalks off. He doesn’t need to say more, knowing that alone is enough to implant guilt in his younger brother. Jongin knows that, too. Luhan lingers for another moment, giving him an apologetic smile. It is not Luhan’s fault though when Jongin’s lacking skills got him a near dead experience – if he was caught, that would have been his death. So he dismisses Luhan with a reassuring grin and a wave, knowing that Junmyeon expects Luhan to follow. For a while now, all Luhan has been doing is to stay close to Junmyeon, almost as if he was tied by an invisible chain.  
  
  
  
  
  
Junmyeon has ordered him to rest for a few days after his almost failed mission. Jongin spends the time in his room, thinking and pondering over his life. What happened is like a wake up call, jerking him back to reality.  
  
Jongin has been rather arrogant, thinking he was the best assassin around, but even the best one has flaws. He is just human, and no human is invincible; death only a hair’s width away at times. And being human just like all the other billions of people in this world he has made mistakes and wrong decisions, and in the future he will make them still. But that doesn’t mean he cannot try to make things right and improve, right?  
  
Right, the tiny voice in his head says and it sounds strangely familiar. Behind closed eyelids Jongin sees crescent eyes and upturned lips, pink in color, and so, so pretty. With closed eyes, the tiny voice grows louder, tinkling laughter, the teasing lilt. They all come back to him.  
  
“Sehun,” Jongin whispers, his eyes open slowly and suddenly, his room seems so much bigger and colder. There is no Sehun smiling at him, and there is no Sehun scoffing at him either. Sehun is not here to whisper to him, but what Jongin misses the most right now is to hold Sehun in his arms and have the certainty that everything will be okay, no matter what happens. Sehun has had that little spark of hope, each time he has looked at Jongin, but will things really turn out right? Or did they choke off the little flame already? The little flame that has kept both of them sane and alive.  
  
  
  
  
  
With his mind being occupied by thoughts of Sehun, his feet bring him to who he wants to see the most right now. It is his instinct that tells him to go look after Sehun in the basement, and while he has a bad feeling, he shakes it off, steady steps bringing him closer to Sehun. In the end, he wishes he didn’t go, but at the same time he wishes he had come earlier.  
  
What he sees now makes Jongin’s blood boil. There is Sehun, crying and screaming, the color red dominating the whole scene. Sehun’s tears have turned into different red stones, most likely cheap ones that will enrage Junmyeon further, but there is a lot of blood, too, and more red on Sehun’s skin. More splotches of blood join the ones already spilled, but Jongin makes sure it is neither Sehun’s nor his. He storms into the room, rage filling his actions, his reason and mind long gone when he sees what is so dear to him being defiled, clothes torn, voice shrill and words jumbled, incoherent. Jongin only hears the cries, the desperate screams for help, for  _Jongin_. He is very sure that Sehun has always been hoping for him to come and save him, and in the aftermath, when those two men are on the ground, unmoving, Jongin wonders for how long Sehun must have been screaming for Jongin to appear. For how many days has this been going on? How many times did they touch his Sehun?  
  
“I’m here,” he whispers, pulling Sehun into his arms, one hand rubbing over the small of Sehun’s back, the other holding him close, pressing him close by the shoulder, ignoring the flaring pain in his injured arm. All that matters is Sehun’s wellbeing now.  
  
“I’m here,” he repeats, his own eyes filling with tears. “Sehun, don’t cry. I’m here. I’m back. And I will not let anyone hurt you.”  
  
  
  
  
  
There are things Jongin wants to turn back so much. He regrets a lot of his decisions, but his biggest regret is his own poor existence in the past as Junmyeon’s obedient little brother. He has worked like a machinery, not like a human, and maybe that is why Junmyeon keeps calling him his best man. Jongin works without a word of protest, and he sticks to the rules given to him by Junmyeon. It was easier that way, but now he is not so sure. If he didn’t leave Junmyeon to reign over the whole of EXO by himself, would their organization have become different? Would Sehun be safe now?  
  
For now Jongin wants to believe that Sehun is safe. In his panic he has called Yixing, the only one he is trusting to take care of Sehun’s wounds without asking. Yixing is a member of EXO, but he I also his friend, and he trusts Yixing almost fully. There will always be a rest of doubt. After all, Yixing is one of Junmyeon’s men, too, one of his closest men, as well, but at the same time Yixing has helped him smuggling the stray cat into headquarters so Sehun would have a friend. And years before, when Jongin himself was just ten, eleven years old, Yixing was also the one to help him smuggle a stray pup into headquarters to have a pet to take care of and cuddle with. When Junmyeon found out, he had punished Yixing hard enough for the other not turning up for a whole month, yet Yixing had never been anything but kind towards him. He believes Yixing will patch Sehun up.  
  
His reason tells him he should stay with Sehun, should take care of Sehun’s wellbeing first, because Yixing can only help with physical injuries. The trauma that Sehun has to experience could never be treated by Yixing, a person who does not know anything about the way Sehun’s mind works. Jongin might not understand Sehun fully, but at least he is a person Sehun trusts still to some extent. Sehun has been whispering his name, hands unwilling to pull away from Jongin’s shirt when he has laid Sehun down on his bed with the promise of being back soon.  
  
It will take more than a few minutes to be back though, that Jongin is sure of when he stands in front of Junmyeon’s office, knuckles white as his hands are balled into fists. He breathes in and out for a while, doing nothing but trying to calm himself before he goes inside, not knocking.  
  
“Hyung,” he starts right away, ignoring the poor soul that has chosen to talk to Junmyeon about business when everyone knows that business with EXO is impossible. Junmyeon will always find a way to increase his profits, sometimes with rather unconventional and not quite legal measures.  
  
Junmyeon doesn’t look too surprised when he enters unannounced like this though, as if he has expected Jongin to come in like this any time. It irritates Jongin, but that is not the point.  
  
“I want you to let Sehun stay with me again.”  
  
Junmyeon chuckles. “Oh, is my sweet little brother rebelling now?”  
  
“I’m not rebelling. I want Sehun to stay in my rooms. I will watch over him. And I promise it won’t affect my work at all. I’ll focus and work efficiently like before. I just need Sehun to stay in my rooms so I don’t need to worry tha-“  
  
Jongin’s eyes are wide when the sound of the slap resonates through the room. He barely registers the sting that follows after; the shock sits too deep. Junmyeon has never raised his hand before, he has never been anything but proud, happy and gentle when Jongin was around, doting even. So what is happening now?  
  
“In case you forgot,” Junmyeon says. “I am not only your older brother, but also your boss. You do know why I am leading this organization instead of you, right? Because I am the one with the good decisions, whereas you let your feelings influence you. It will be your death one day. Stop thinking about that whore. Go back to the old Jongin, the one everyone is counting on.”  
  
Jongin swallows hard, barely able to hold his fury in. “Yes, Sir.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin is under time pressure. If Junmyeon thinks he has won, then his brother is wrong. Jongin knows that he might not be the most suitable to make decisions for a whole group of people, but for himself and for the person he cherishes – he can’t forget Sehun and the way he has reacted when seeing Sehun in pain is proof enough that he does – he is sure he can make the best decision for both their wellbeing. And so he runs back to his rooms, already calling his people for help. There is no use talking to Junmyeon anymore when his brother is stubborn. Jongin will have to act now or he might never see Sehun again. Junmyeon does have his ways to get whatever he wants, but Jongin is stubborn, too.  
  
“Kyungsoo, I need your help. Get a car ready for me and load in as much money as you can. Can’t use my credit card, that’s why. I’m out of here, sorry I can’t tell you more now. But I’ll contact you once we’re safe.”  
  
“Sehun?” Kyungsoo asks, unsurprised. Jongin isn’t surprised either. It must have been obvious to everyone.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Good luck then. We’ll do our best to stall time for you. Be careful to not leak any information about your whereabouts. Don’t contact us too soon and not in a way that might lead Suho to both of you.”  
  
“Thank you, Kyungsoo. Tell Baek I said hi. This is not the last time you hear of me.”  
  
Jongin ends the call, knowing he can count on Kyungsoo to help him. The question is only if within the given time span Kyungsoo can get everything ready that he needs. For now, Jongin just needs a car and a lot of cash. He needs to get Sehun out of here as soon as possible, and somewhere on the way they will need to get a different car to get rid of any traces. EXO’s vehicles all have GPS, so even if Kyungsoo doesn’t deliver his location, Junmyeon can find someone else to get the desired information.  
  
“Sehun,” Jongin whispers once he is back in his room, relief washing through him in waves at the sight of Sehun sleeping. Yixing did not fail him this time, not opening the door for anyone but him.  
  
“I washed him and disinfected his wounds. I gave him painkillers, too, that’s why he is asleep now.”  
  
Jongin nods then. “Thank you. I am forever in your debts. I will make sure to pay you back one day, but now…”  
  
“You need to get the boy out of here,” Yixing completes his sentence. “I understand. Good luck, Jongin. Remember to tend to his wounds once a day. That should be enough. They’re not too grave. A few scratches, some are a bit deep, but apart from that just bruises. Be nice to him, his heart is in more pain than his body.”  
  
“I know”, Jongin mumbles, grateful for all the help he is receiving. He is not one to be emotional, but right now he feels like tearing up. He wants to gather everyone for a big, warm group hug, but there is no time left for that. He needs every second there is to run before Junmyeon sends people after them.  
  
“I’ll go now. Thanks for everything, hyung.”  
  
“Are you sure you can fight everyone off while carrying him?” Yixing asks.  
  
“I have to try.”  
  
“I’ll come with you to check if the coast is clear.”  
  
Jongin wants to reject the offer, not wanting to be in even greater debts, but he knows what is better for Sehun. They need every help they get now. Jongin’s shoulder is still hurting, the wound stitched up, but far from completely healed yet, and with a passed out Sehun on his back they will be slow. They need the back up.  
  
“Alright. Let’s go now,” he mumbles.  
  
Yixing helps him hoisting Sehun up on his back before they leave. Jongin takes his wallet with him, as well as his phone, even if that will be discarded later. But for now he needs the numbers, until he has them copied somewhere else, on a new phone. Jongin won’t stop feeling grateful for all those wonderful people that have helped him growing up and mature, and he won’t forget all those who have been his family and closest friends.  
  
“No one’s here,” Yixing whispers to him, coming back into the room after checking the hallways. He leads the way as Jongin follows with fastened heartbeat, adrenaline rising in his system.  
  
“Stay low,” Yixing hisses when footsteps near, but there is nowhere they can hide, unless they enter a room. And who knows who might be waiting behind that door? Junmyeon? It is one of Junmyeon’s rooms they are passing now.  
  
Yixing stands in front of him, shielding both Jongin and Sehun from a possible storm of bullets. There comes none, but instead there is Chanyeol, a grim expression on his usually cheerful face.  
  
“Kyungsoo sent me,” he whispers, and that is enough for Jongin to know and to trust, dismissing Yixing in a second. He doesn’t want to get the Chinese involved when all he does is taking care of the sick and the injured. Yixing is a too good person to ever experience a battle, not to mention that he has no experience with fights. Chanyeol and he can handle, as they have proven countless of times. They are a good team, especially with Kyungsoo aiding them.  
  
“Kyungsoo and Baek are monitoring all the cameras right now, so they’ll steer us away from the crowded areas. Be prepared for a possible encounter though,” Chanyeol whispers and Jongin nods. They set in motion once Yixing disappears around the corner.  
  
It is almost too easy, walking through the maze that is EXO’s headquarters while trying to steer away from other people. If it was only Jongin running away, without Sehun on his back that would have been no problem as no one would suspect him to escape. With Diamond Boy though, that is a different case, and so they hope they don’t have to run into someone else. They might have to fight them and Jongin doesn’t actually wish to hurt anyone, except for those he has seen around Sehun, those that have hurt Sehun and scarred his boyfriend. Just at the thought of them, the memory of Sehun’s pained sounds and expression his blood boils.  
  
Jongin’s pulse accelerates when Chanyeol motions him to stop and stay put. There is someone around the corner, Jongin can hear footsteps drawing closer. Chanyeol continues walking and Jongin has the urge to tag along, but he knows to obey in important situations, and so he waits instead. Not even ten seconds later Chanyeol comes back to pull him along, sidestepping one of their men lying on the ground. Not someone important or someone close enough to Jongin to be extremely sad about. Maybe Junmyeon was right. Jongin is ruthless, not even feeling bad about it.  
  
  
  
  
  
It seems like an hour long walk when in reality it might be just ten, twenty minutes. They are at the garage now, a sleek, silver BMW waiting for them, with a backpack filled with cash in there. Jongin wonders briefly how exactly Kyungsoo managed to get everything prepared in that little time, but if it is Kyungsoo, almost nothing is impossible. He thanks Chanyeol in a quiet whisper, a handshake being their farewell. If they talk more, Jongin will get emotional; he is teary already, but knows better than to start crying now.  
  
“Think of your Diamond Boy,” Chanyeol whispers. “Don’t cry and take good care of him. I can’t help you much anymore. It’s a solo mission from now on. All I can do is help stall some time with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, sending people in different directions.”  
  
Jongin nods and without further words he steps on the gas pedal, the car setting in motion almost immediately.  
  
With the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, heartbeat not slowing down and probably not doing so anytime soon, Jongin races through the streets. He drives insanely fast, disregarding traffic rules when he needs to get away as fast as possible. It is after half an hour of driving that he decides to stop, somewhere in the middle of the town. He knows if he goes further by car Junmyeon might be able to find them via tracking system ingrained in each of the organization’s vehicles. Jongin chooses to carry Sehun on his back, the backpack of cash in his front, and just like that he stalks off, using the subway to get to some suburb area. He’ll rent a car from there to drive to some port. Blackmailing some ship to get them to Japan or China is easier than catching a flight when they don’t have any papers on them. They will need someone to fake passports for them, too, and now that Jongin thinks about it, a hasty escape might have been a rather bad idea.  
  
Sighing, Jongin tightens the grip around Sehun who is stirring a bit in his sleep. Is it the noise or the commotion that is waking him? Jongin wishes he could grant the other some more sleep, some rest after the assault from earlier, but at the same time Sehun being awake was better for the two of them. They can move forward faster like that, and Jongin still needs to explain the situation to Sehun.  
  
“Jongin…” Sehun starts slowly, confusion written all over his face. Jongin smiles at the female who has gotten up to let Sehun sit down, seeing the other tired and injured. He leans forward, ruffling Sehun’s hair.  
  
“We’ll talk later,” Jongin whispers. “For now, just follow my lead.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin knows he shouldn’t feel this way, but somehow he feels excited. Sehun is sitting next to him in the passenger seat, silence between them, but he doesn’t feel tensed. There is hope. Jongin feels hopeful, having his love right next to him when they are driving off into an uncertain, but probably better future. Anything is better than staying back with EXO where Sehun is caged and mistreated when Jongin is not looking.  
  
“You said we’d talk,” Sehun whispers. Jongin can feel the other’s gaze on him as they drive through the night, passing one village after the other. If they keep driving like this, they might arrive in Busan by the morning, the passport problem easily solved with someone faking them for them. He has called Kyungsoo earlier from a telephone booth and Kyungsoo has ordered two fake passports for them already. They are in the preparation to be made, but will need photographs of Sehun and Jongin as well as some other information that Kyungsoo cannot provide them.  
  
“I thought maybe you would like to rest first. Sleep it over. But if you want to talk, we can talk, too. So ask your questions, Sehun. I’ll reply to all of them.”  
  
A glance to his side shows that Sehun is pensive, thinking through everything before he opens his mouth to ask. Jongin waits patiently until the first questions is spoken.  
  
“Are you kidnapping me again?”  
  
Jongin hums, his eyes focusing on the road as he searches for a good answer.  
  
“Yes and no. Actually, we are both on the run. Do you remember anything that happened to you earlier today? Or what has happened you the last few days when I was not around. When you were taken away.” Now that Jongin thinks about it, he doesn’t know how much damage those people he has called brothers had done to Sehun. Didn’t everyone know that Jongin has taken a liking to Sehun? It was a rumor, wasn’t it? And more often than not, the rumors spreading within HQ proved to be true. Like Luhan and Junmyeon being an item, though Jongin had his doubts about Luhan’s willingness.  
  
“I…” Sehun doesn’t reply for a while. It makes Jongin realize belatedly how insensitive his question has been. He shouldn’t have reminded Sehun when the experiences of the last two, three days were horrifying to just a watcher. How much worse must it be for the victim? Not only had Sehun been beaten up, but he had been insulted and snarled at, mocked and belittled, shamed and raped.  
  
Jongin parks at the roadside. He needs to calm down or else he might drive both Sehun and himself into their death with thoughts like these clouding his mind. A short break is not wrong when they have been running all day, trying to escape their situation.  
  
“Sehun,” Jongin whispers, turning around when he unbuckles his seat belt. With careful hands he unbuckles the other as well, motioning Sehun to come closer. Sehun does with a bit of hesitation, but soon enough his head rests on Jongin’s shoulder. His body twists uncomfortably, his shoulder aching from the strain - the wound hopefully not opening up again - but that is okay, as long as he can wrap his arms around Sehun, one hand ruffling through silky locks, the other hand rubbing the small of Sehun’s back.  
  
“Whatever is happening, I will protect you. I can’t protect you when we’re still there at headquarters though. I’m not the boss, and as long as Suho reigns there, I can’t guarantee your safety in those moments I am sent away on a mission. I was sent on a mission and when I came back you were brought away,” he recounts, bitterness tinging his tone. If only his brother wasn’t so greedy and stubborn, then things wouldn’t have turned out this way.  
  
“Why?” Sehun whispers back in reply. “Why did you choose to run away with me? Don’t you think I would be safer when protected by law?”  
  
Jongin stills at that. He has never thought about other possibilities, possibilities that would mean separate ways for the two of them. Sehun reminds him though that there are other ways to solve this problem. He could always free Sehun and send him over to the police where he could report on everything that had happened, enough crimes to get the whole of EXO busted and jailed. The evidence is there, the wounds on Sehun’s body and the wounds done to his soul. But if Sehun stayed with the police, that would mean getting Jongin in jail, too, even if he was the one to help Sehun escape. It would get everyone else in trouble, too. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun who have never hurt a person, but are involved in a lot of missions with their computer hacking skills. Yixing and all the other people responsible with taking care of the wounded. Jongin can’t have that, it is not an option.  
  
Yet his conscience tells him there is still Sehun. Isn’t Sehun his first priority now? Isn’t that why he has turned his back on his family? Jongin can’t return now. He is a traitor to the whole of EXO, but he doesn’t belong to the good people either, people that live by the laws, and so he doesn’t have any right to like a life like the one Sehun deserves, a civil life, embedded in society. Jongin is a criminal. He can only continue his life as one or try to build up a whole new life in a different place, far away from home where no one knows what he has done. And only in that new life there is the chance to have Sehun by his side. Would Sehun want to live with him though?  
  
Jongin has been acting rash, not considering the other’s feelings. He shouldn’t feel like being punched in the guts if it is his own fault for not thinking things through, for acting upon his emotions. Anger, frustration and helplessness are no tools to use when one makes a big decision, yet Jongin has done so. And now here they are, stuck at the side of some highway at night, on their way to Busan maybe or maybe not, unsure of how to go on.  
  
“I guess you are safer with law and the police protecting you, but… You know I can’t be with you then, right?”  
  
Of course Sehun knows. That look in Sehun’s face as he pulls away tells him all. Sehun is not dumb, knowing that Jongin with his affiliation to EXO, a notorious mafia gang, belongs behind bars. That is if he doesn’t get death penalty. The court won’t differentiate between the unnecessary deaths brought upon by other mafia members and count all of Jongin’s kills as murders. Well, they are murders, but most of the people Jongin gets rid of are bad people. Other criminals, corrupt people, people abusing their power. He is doing society a favor by that.  
  
“Do you even want to be with me?” Jongin whispers when there is no reply. Sehun stares at him with watery eyes and Jongin understands. He is not the best option for Sehun and he has no right to think so when he is the person bestowing this sad fate onto the other. Not to mention that his feelings have been more one-sidedly, right? Sehun has let his fingers and lips wander, roaming wide expanses of ivory skin, not because Sehun feels the same. Sehun has feared him, he mistrusts Jongin and sees him only as the bad guy he needs to obey or else things will get worse. He doesn’t like Jongin, the lips pressing back on his, seemingly desperate, the cheerful grin and greeting every time he came back… all of that, it was a farce right? There is no way someone like Sehun could like someone like Jongin.  
  
“You don’t need to come with me,” Jongin says, oddly calm. “If you are still scared and if you don’t trust me, then I will bring you to the next police station. I will let you go and tell the police of all my wrongdoings, of everything EXO has done to you. I won’t stop you, I promise that.”  
  
“Will you go back to EXO then?” Sehun asks.  
  
“No. I can’t. Suho will skin me alive. He will shoot a bullet through my head by himself. I turned my back on them already. There is no going back for me.”  
  
Sehun nods. He takes a deep breath and Jongin grips the steering wheel, ready to drive Sehun to the nearest police station.  
  
“I’ll stay with you. I trust you, Jongin.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Are you sure you won’t ever regret?” Jongin asks. Just a few more minutes and the ship will leave South Korean soil, heading to Taiwan. They will board a plane there, any plane that will bring them further away to South East Asia maybe, to the US or Europe even. That is if Sehun still stands firm with his decision.  
  
“Yeah,” Sehun says, pulling the coat tighter around his body. Jongin stands behind him, arms around a narrow waist, chin resting on Sehun’s shoulder.  
  
“You’ll leave Korea, leaving behind your academic career as well.” A thing Jongin feels sorry for. He knows Sehun has loved his major despite it sounding utterly boring to Jongin. Sehun’s eyes are bright whenever he talks about university, about everything he has learned. It trips Jongin into guilt despite Sehun’s reassurances.  
  
“I can go to school anywhere,” Sehun says. “I don’t have any family left in Korea, so it’s fine, really. Aren’t you going to regret it?”  
  
Jongin won’t regret it. Never. Not when Sehun is in his arms, safe and sound with the little smile on his face. The little smile that will hopefully grow into full laughter again one day, loud and bright and driving tears into those hazel eyes. Or not. It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.  
  
“What are you going to do though?” Sehun asks quietly. “You’re not following the same career, are you?”  
  
“Of course not,” Jongin chuckles. “I thought about living off of you. I don’t know how to do anything else, so I’ll just stay at home and clean our apartment, do the laundry and cook for us.”  
  
“ _Our_  apartment?”  
  
Jongin nods. “Our apartment. You can’t get rid of me now. You can’t hide either. I will find you and kidnap you again if you ever dare to leave.”


End file.
